According to a police official, the explosion occurred while local residents had flocked around the damaged vehicle to try to recover gasoline.
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More than 40 people were killed and dozens injured in a tanker truck explosion in central Liberia, a senior medical official announced Thursday (December 28). The authorities are seeking to “establish the number of missing people” since the disaster that occurred on Tuesday in Totota, 130 km northeast of Monrovia, the country’s capital. The toll is difficult to establish with precision, due to the state of combustion of a large number of bodies. According to a police official, the explosion occurred as residents flocked around an damaged truck, which had fallen into a ditch, to try to recover gasoline.
Residents seriously burned
President George Weah on Thursday expressed “his deep compassion” to the families of the victims. “President Weah said the images of the tragedy were deeply disturbing and called for assistance to the affected families, while the Liberia National Red Cross and other relevant government institutions are assisting in recovery and treatment efforts “, says a press release from the presidency sent to AFP. According to the document, the president said health authorities have his full support to increase manpower and equipment as necessary in their bid to save lives.
